Equestrians have been urged to be on the alert for another potential Facebook scam, after a flurry of fake event profiles have been set up.

Common scams on social media include profiles purporting to offer live streams of major events, in an attempt to secure customers’ card details, but in these more recent cases, people are sent friend requests from profiles calling themselves the Hickstead Derby Meeting, for example, or Royal Windsor Horse Show. These should be reported and blocked.

A spokesman for Hickstead told H&H: “We wish the social media platforms would all try to do more to decrease the amount of spammers and scammers that are flooding the equestrian pages. No matter how many we block and report, we keep seeing more and more fake pages and profiles purporting to be Hickstead.”

The spokesman said that the pages steal Hickstead’s content and text in an attempt to make themselves look legitimate.

“Our concern is that people might be duped into scams such as clicking on fake ticketing or live-stream links,” she said. “We recommend blocking all these fake pages, and reporting them to Facebook – hopefully if enough people do this, they might actually take action.

“Hickstead does not have any profiles except our main page, the Hickstead competitors group and our official event pages, and these are linked from our main Facebook page. If in doubt, always search for ticketing or live-stream links using the official event website, and before you join an event page on Facebook, look at who is hosting – if it sounds a bit suspicious, it’s very likely to be fake.”

A spokesman for Royal Windsor and the London International Horse Show (LIHS) told H&H social media scammers are a “constant problem” for both events.

“While we do everything we can to keep on top of fake pages and profiles stealing our images and logos, we do encourage fans of both shows to stay vigilant,” she said. “Neither show will ever send friend requests to anyone, or create any Facebook events – so please report pages that do. 

“The easiest way to see if the pages are real at a glance are by numbers of followers – on Facebook, the real LIHS page has 120,000 followers, the real Royal Windsor Horse Show page has 81,000 followers. We are also very grateful to those who take a moment to report fake pages to Meta – which hugely helps our efforts.”

A spokesman for Facebook refused to comment on the new ability to have more than one profile on the same account, which it said at launch would allow people to keep work and personal lives separate, for example, or on the complaint that reporting fake pages has no effect. 

H&H understands that accounts impersonating others go against Facebook’s community guidelines, that they are removed if reported, and that owner Meta works with law enforcement to keep scammers away from the platform.

Detective inspector Dan Giannasi from the North West Cyber Resilience Centre told H&H social media scams are very common.

“It’s easy for criminals to create many accounts that appear like legitimate organisations or events,” he said. “It’s crucial to stop and think before engaging with anyone online, especially if you don’t know them or it’s an unsolicited request. Don’t share any personal information or financial details until you are sure it’s genuine.”

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A young rider who lost her life savings of £14,000 in a sophisticated lorry-selling scam has shared her story to raise awareness of the method.

Alanna Malt worked three part-time jobs while she was in her last year of university last year to save up for the horsebox, and has lost it all to the fraudsters, who set up a website purporting to be that of a reputable company.

She told H&H she saw the box advertised on a trusted online platform.

“It was in my price range so I started messaging the seller,” she said.

“He sounded completely normal; he said he’d relocated to Germany so the horsebox was with a haulage company.”

Alanna did her homework; she found the firm’s website, which stated that it delivered vehicles on behalf of sellers. She also found it listed on Companies House, so was reassured when the seller, who sent her plenty more pictures of the lorry, asked her to email the firm.

“I emailed the company, on the address the seller had given me,” she said. “I said I was a bit concerned as it was a lot of money but they said they had all these policies, that my payment would be ring-fenced and I’d have a five-day inspection period. They were really understanding, so I sent them a deposit.”

The deposit was £7,000, half the price of the box. Alanna paid up, and was told the lorry would be delivered on Saturday (14 October).

“They said the agents would call me, and they’d have all the paperwork and keys,” she said. “Then they asked me for the rest of the money. I’d been under the impression that I’d pay after the inspection period but they said it was so it would be fully covered by their insurance in case something happened in transport.

“I thought it was an expensive piece of kit so I sent the rest of the money. They said perfect.”

Saturday came but Alanna had no call – and no horsebox.

“I emailed and had no response but thought maybe I’d get one on Monday,” she said. “But when I looked on Monday, the website had gone.

“I think what’s happened is that the company is a real one but with no online presence so they’ve pretended to be them.”

Alanna said the email purported to be from a woman who is listed on Companies House as a director of the real company.

“But of course, it wasn’t her,” she said. “And they’ve got all my money. I was trying to stay positive but on Sunday night, my gut just dropped and I thought ‘oh my god, the money’s gone and I don’t know what to do’.”

Alanna reported the issue to Action Fraud, police and her bank. She said the former told her she has a case, and the latter is investigating, so there is a chance she may get her money back.

“I feel really naive,” she said. “I’m quite computer sensible and I’d researched; I’d looked the horsebox up and it had MoT till January so it’s a real vehicle, and I’d checked the company. I never thought I’d get caught out by something like that.

“I just want people to know about it. You always think you won’t be the one and it has happened to me. I worked so hard to earn this money and now I’ve got to start from square one again.”

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Equestrians fed up of scammers taking people for a ride have been fighting back — with “Matalan cards”, sweets and soft drinks.

Sarah Davies (not her real name) set up the Facebook group Equestrian Scammers, Ribena and Strawberry Laces to raise awareness of dishonest “sellers” trying to exhort money for goods they do not have — and to have some fun at the same time.

Sarah told H&H she created the group after her mother was scammed by a person, or group of people, pretending to be a man stranded abroad with no access to money.

“She’d lost her partner, and they took advantage of her vulnerability,” Sarah said. “He was absolutely relentless, and over two years, she lost over £25,000.

“There was nothing she could do. The police and Action Fraud’s hands were tied as the scammers weren’t in the UK. To tell an older lady she won’t see her life savings again was heartbreaking.”

As an equestrian, Sarah had seen similar scammers at work, purporting to sell everything from horses to tack, often using pictures and video stolen from genuine sellers, and asking for online payments to secure horses or items they do not own. Having been so involved in her mother’s case, she told H&H, she could spot warning signs early on, but it appeared not all others could do the same.

“It’s about educating people,” she said.

“I’ve been talking to some of the scammers; it’s got more and more absurd, they’ll say anything. But I could see these scammers posting, and people commenting to say they’d messaged them, and thought some of these people might end up losing money.”

Sarah started the group and posted screenshots of some of her conversations with scammers. The name comes from a mention of Ribena and strawberry laces, in an early chat with a scammer who was promising to sell Sarah a 16.1/2hh seven-year-old mare, who ran in a bumper in 2018 and retired sound. The seller said the Shetland, who he referred to as “he”, would reach 20hh, 22hh with the right care, and asked for a £700 deposit through PayPal friends and family.

“I don’t think about what I’m saying, it just comes out,” Sarah said.

“I can’t believe how much the group has taken off; people are getting really involved.”

One trademark of the anti-scammers is to ask for a “Matalan card”, the “buyer” insisting that it is illegal to sell horses without them. Sellers have been agreeing that their horses’ Matalan cards are indeed present and up to date.

“It’s so obvious to a horsey person if they’re being offered a horse for sale with a Matalan card!” Sarah said. “It’s so ridiculous, it’s an instant warning if you see that from a seller. It doesn’t really matter what you say to these scammers; they’ll say anything as they’re just so desperate for your money.”

Other clued-up “buyers” have been told horses will be delivered to them to “Chelmsford port”, or given sellers’ addresses that, when googled, have been estate agents or in town centres. Some of the scammers have provided fake certificates of registration from fake organisations, while others have produced the famous “Matalan cards”.

Group members have fought back by sending the scammers mocked-up screenshots appearing to show they have paid the deposit as asked.

Continues below…

Warning as scammers target Olympia Online

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But Sarah’s main point is getting the message out.

“The key is: be aware and don’t pay anything to anyone,” she said.

“I used to be so naive; it’s a natural thing to trust people but some of these Facebook profiles are teams of people, it’s scary. I think one reason the group’s been so well received is that a lot of people didn’t realise it was going on.

“If I can save one person from being scammed, I’ve done my job, and that would make me really happy.”

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Live-stream scammers have been targeting fans of the London International Horse Show, Olympia by posting fake links that ask them for credit card details to view the show’s archive footage.

The much-loved Christmas event, which was cancelled this year because of the pandemic, has been streaming new footage and events from previous years during the week the show should have taken place.

The stream can be viewed for free on the Olympia website but several users have fallen foul of links on social media that take them to fake platforms, which charge a nominal fee and steal their credit card details.

The common scam targets many sporting events and often uses duplicated Facebook pages with slightly different names to trick users into thinking the content is legitimate. Fake social media accounts are also used to post links to scam sites in the comments.

Other equine events to be targeted by clone pages include Badminton and Burghley horse trials, and the Dublin and Liverpool international shows.

Wiggy Bamforth, marketing manager for Hpower Group which runs Olympia, told H&H she had seen more than 50 invitations from fake pages trying to link to Olympia in the past 24 hours alone.

“It’s not just Olympia, it affects a lot of other large sporting events where the scammers think they can make a lot of money,” Wiggy said. “It can be quite easy to fall for it as the fake platforms can look very similar to the genuine ones.

“It’s been a problem for the past four or five years.”

Continues below…

Grand Hall stands empty but Olympia magic is online from today

Equestrian world targeted by social media scams using fake show pages

“I think the people behind it are a group that’s come across equestrianism and thought this is a good way

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She added that fewer than 10 people had reported falling for the scam so far this year but that it was enough to want to make sure people were aware of the problem.

“If people are concerned then they can make sure they are on the right page by typing in www.olympiahorseshow.com or searching for Olympia Horse Show in Google and clicking the top link. All our streaming content is free and we won’t ask for their card details,” she added.

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Facebook scammers have been targeting the equestrian community again — setting up a Facebook page and trying to con competition entrants into handing over credit or debit card details.

Stallion AI Services set up a page called Big Star Olympic Champion, and launched a competition to win a straw of frozen semen, as well as a framed Big Star shoe, and a chance to meet the stallion himself.

But a scam page was set up, closely resembling the genuine article, and the scammers behind it contacted hundreds of people who had entered the competition.

“They contacted these people saying they were the winner, and to fill in a form,” Stallion Ai Services’ Tullis Matson told H&H.

“It told them to fill in their credit card details and they’d do the rest. They say ‘click here to get your prize’, and that’s when they get you.”

Tullis said this was the second time one of his company’s pages has been duplicated. H&H has reported on similar attacks on show centre pages, all attempts to secure people’s financial details.

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“They don’t hack you but they set up a fictitious page that looks just like yours,” he said. “This one had ‘Bigstar’ all one word, and ‘Olympicchampion’ all one word, but everything else was exactly the same.

“They’re very clever; it’s so frustrating.”

Tullis said Trading Standards was helpful, because it was fraudulent activity, and the fake page has now been removed.

If you think you may have been caught out by this, or a similar scam online, report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

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The popularity of using the internet to advertise horses and horseboxes for sale has lead to a marked increase in scammers using this as an opportunity to exhort money from individuals. H&H offers some useful advice on how to ensure you don't get caught out...

Thousands of people buy and sell horses, horseboxes and other equestrian products online every month. Unfortunately the popularity of using the internet to advertise horses, horseboxes, trailers and other equestrian items for sale has attracted an increasing number of online scams, which try to con money or personal information out of sellers and buyers alike.

The three most common online scams we are currently aware of are:

A: A fake advert is placed online. The item being sold is often significantly cheaper than items of a similar age/condition. When you contact the advertiser to find out more about the item, the seller claims to be ill, busy or out of the country, so you can’t go to view it. They offer instead to send it to you if you send them the money and promise you a full refund if you are not happy with it. They may suggest you pay via an escrow account such as PayPal, Amazon Payments or Google Wallet ‘for protection’.

Don’t be caught out by these types of scam no matter how legitimate the excuse may sound or how tempting the deal is. The scammer doesn’t have the item they are advertising – they are simply going to take your money and leave you without your money or the item.

B: You have booked an advert with a classifieds magazine or website and you receive a call from a person who claims to work for the company and says there was a problem with the payment. For some reason or other it hasn’t gone through and they ask if they can take your card details again. They sound legitimate, they may claim to be a person you know works for the company and they may know your name and when the advert was originally placed.

Now you might think there is no way you would just give your card details out to someone who calls you on the phone asking for it, but these scammers are very convincing. Don’t get sucked in. They will have got your personal information from your advert on the internet or in a magazine. If you receive a call like this, tell them you don’t have your credit card to hand and that you will ring them back, taking a note of their phone number. End the call, then ring our freephone number 0800 316 5450 and speak to a real member of the H&H classified team, who will be able to confirm if there has been any problem with your payment.

C: Another popular scam is when you have placed an advert to sell an item and receive an email from a potential buyer, who most commonly offers you full price for it. Typically these emails are written in broken English and include terms like ‘final price’ or ‘best price’ in them.

If you get into an email conversation with the scammer and you agree a price, they will then say they will send you a cheque or bankers draft for more than the amount you are asking and ask you to send the rest on to their agent, who will be collecting the item for them. This is also designed to exhort money out of you as the cheque will appear to clear, but then be declined later, leaving your without the money or your item.

Scammers commonly target individuals selling a horse or horsebox online. It’s vital that you take the time to learn how to spot a scam email so you can properly protect yourself, your money and your goods.

How to avoid becoming a victim of online scams

• Always be alert
• If something seems too good to be true, it usually is
• Use your common sense; if the email doesn’t fit the expected process of selling or buying a horse/horsebox, you should be cautious
• Don’t give out your personal or bank account information to someone who has called you
• Be wary of offers to buy your horse/horsebox in the first email. Would you buy a horse or horsebox without seeing it? We all know that this doesn’t happen in real life.
• Be wary of anyone asking for bank details in the first email in order to make a payment.
• Always trade face-to-face

The Horse & Hound website brings people selling a horse or horsebox together with people who want to buy one. We will always recommend that once the introduction has been made, you conduct the rest of the sale face-to-face. Don’t part with your horse/horsebox or your money without meeting them in person.

We hope that this advice will help you to feel confident about using Horse & Hound to buy and sell and help you to avoid being caught out by these convincing scams.

Please note: Classified advertisements displayed on Horse & Hound Horses For Sale are provided by the sellers. Future Publishing Limited (Future), the publisher of Horse & Hound, is not responsible for the content of the advertisements and is unable to verify the accuracy of these advertisements. Prospective buyers should check the authenticity of the seller and view the horse prior to making any payment. Beware of scams requiring upfront payment or sellers unable to prove their identity. Future accepts no liability to a buyer in connection with these advertisements. Please refer to detailed guidance on buying horses and our advice to help buyers avoid scams.

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An equine retailer whose Facebook page was copied has issued a warning over scams targeting people entering competitions on social media.

Ruggles Equestrian Ltd has been hosting competitions on its Facebook page during lockdown, offering followers the chance to win items, but twice has been targeted by a fake page pretending to be the retailer. The fake page has been commenting on followers’ posts to say they have won the competition, asking them to click a link and provide their personal details.

Ruggles owner Diane Leake told H&H the fake page is an individual profile using her company name, but with the space between ‘Equestrian’ and ‘Ltd’ missing.

“At first glance it looks real because they are using our images,” she said.

“This competition started on Saturday (6 June) and doesn’t close until 20 June but on Sunday (7 June) the fake page was contacting people saying they had won. We don’t ask our followers to share the competition post publicly on their profiles – they can share it privately – but it’s still happening.”

Diane said she is considering stopping running competitions.

“We normally run three to four competitions a year but due to the lockdown we thought it would be nice to run some extra for people stuck at home. I’ve had messages informing us about the fake page and from people who think our page has been hacked. We’ve been told about it happening to other pages too,” she said.

“If I can’t stop this happening I will have to stop running competitions which would be a shame. It doesn’t reflect well on Ruggles if it looks like my page is involved in a scam and I don’t want my followers being targeted.”

Diane reported the fake page to Facebook and alerted her followers.

“I reported it last time it happened too and lots of my followers have reported it, but nothing has been done,” said Diane. “Facebook told me its not a breach – it’s outrageous. Facebook should be taking more action to protect people.”

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Equestrian world targeted by social media scams using fake show pages

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The fake page remains active today (10 June) but a spokesman for Facebook told H&H the account is being investigated.

“Fraudulent activity is not tolerated on our platforms,” he said. “We urge people to report any suspicious posts or ads to us. To help with this we have created a dedicated Facebook scam ads reporting tool so people can directly report scams as soon as they see them.

“We have also donated £3m to Citizens’ Advice to help consumers avoid scams.”

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A major equestrian venue has warned people to be aware of fake social media pages asking for credit card details, after a group cloned the centre’s Facebook page.

Arena UK, Lincolnshire, which hosts a range of events and championships, became aware that a Facebook page posing as the venue had been created and was advertising events.

Arena UK co-owner Lauren Fogg told H&H the venue had cancelled some shows owing to the recent storms but the fake page continued to advertise the events.

“First of all we had our whole page cloned – we managed to sort that but then another page was set up and was advertising events. They were adding ‘2020’ to the end of every event and thankfully some people got in touch asking if we had seen it and if it was real or not,” she said.

“We’ve reported it to Facebook and asked everyone who saw it to report it too but unfortunately Facebook wasn’t the quickest to deal with it – or they have a look, say it’s fine and leave it on. We’re finding it very difficult to get Facebook to take it down.”

The fake event pages advertise live-streaming of shows and ask users to input credit card details in order to watch.

“It’s bad – we don’t want people to think we’re not secure here as a show centre,” said Lauren.

“We do our best to make sure all our servers are secure and I don’t want people to think we’ve been targeted because we don’t have good cyber security – we take a lot of time and money to make sure we’re safe for everyone to visit our sites.”

Lauren said she put up a post on the Arena UK page warning people of the fake page, but the imitators then copied the warning.

“They used our warning to promote it even more,” she said. “I think the people behind it are a group that’s come across equestrianism and thought this is a good way to scam people.

“They’ve even got an event up already for our British Dressage area festival in September. We had to change the date so originally they put up the wrong date but then they realised and changed it, they’re quite savvy – they’re not just randomly doing it and leaving it, they’re revisiting everything.”

Article continued below…

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Lauren urged people to be vigilant online.

“Make sure it’s the correct page you’re visiting – it’s so easy to get scammed. If anyone is worried they should alert us then we can take the issue further and make sure they don’t get scammed by these people. It’s scary – people don’t realise and then click on the links.”

The page has now been removed. A Facebook spokesman thanked H&H for bringing the issue to the company’s attention, adding that it uses a combination of automatic tools and human review to remove fraudulent behaviour from its platforms, and encourages people to use reporting tools if they seen this kind of behaviour.

“We have removed this page, which violated our policies on fraud and deception,” he said. “We continue to invest in people and technology to identify and remove this content. As part of this work, we donated £3m to Citizens Advice to deliver a new UK scam action programme and set up a dedicated reporting tool, supported by a specialist internal operations team.”

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Buyers are being warned that fraudsters are posting adverts for non-existent animals and accessories online.

Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre, is urging people to be aware after false adverts led to more than £3million in losses between 2012 and 2018.

It warns that fraudsters are advertising animals and equipment online, including horses and equine equipment, at bargain prices. They then request a full payment or deposit via bank transfer or electronic wire.

A report from Action Fraud and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau found equestrian accessories accounted for 92% of monetary losses. Between January 2012 and May 2018, 368 reports were made concerning horseboxes or trailers.

The total reported loss was £1,145,369, with an average loss of £3,112 per victim.

Action Fraud director Pauline Smith said the upset and financial loss to victims “can be huge”.

“This is why it’s so important that you follow our advice to help protect yourself and always trust your instincts – if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is,” she said.

“If you think you have been a victim of fraud, report it to us.”

Between January 2012 and May 2018, horses made up 174 of the reports, with a total loss of £343,286 and an average loss per victim of £1,973.

Article continues below…

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How to protect yourself from online scams

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The report also found 61% of victims were female, and 22% were between 20 and 29 years old. It showed the impact had a significant impact on the health and financial wellbeing of 31% of victims.

Tips from Action Fraud and Horse & Hound to help protect yourself from online scams:

• Always be alert
• If something seems too good to be true, it usually is
• Use your common sense; if the email doesn’t fit the expected process of selling or buying a horse/horsebox, you should be cautious
• Don’t give out your personal or bank account information to someone who has called you
• Be wary of offers to buy your horse/horsebox in the first email. Would you buy a horse or horsebox without seeing it? We all know that this doesn’t happen in real life.
• Be wary of anyone asking for bank details in the first email in order to make a payment.
• Always trade face-to-face
• If you’re purchasing goods and services from a company or person you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first, or ask friends and family for advice before completing a purchase. Remember, if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is
• Ask for photographs or videos of the animal; a responsible seller will understand why the buyer wants photographs and more information before making a purchase.
• Avoid paying for good and services by bank transfer as that offers you little protection if you become a victim of fraud. Instead, use a credit card or payment services such as PayPal’s goods and services facility. Paying via “friends and family” does not provide the same level of protection.
• Use the online marketplace’s “report” function if you come across suspicious adverts or sellers.
• If you think you have fallen victim to this type of fraud, report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A serial fraudster who conned equestrians out of thousands of pounds has been jailed again, with the help of Horse&Hound.

Charmaine Rowan, 31, of Manchester Road, Huddersfield, was sentenced to four years behind bars at Leeds Crown Court on Monday (16 July).

Rowan, who also went by the name of Charmaine McAllister, admitted to 15 counts of fraud by false representation and one of breaching a criminal behaviour order.

Between November 2017 and January 2018, Rowan conned advertisers into handing over their bank card details. She called her victims, pretending to be a member of the advertising team, and told them their payments had not gone through.

H&H worked with affected advertisers and police to help bring her to justice and has also shared extensive advice to educate readers on how they can protect themselves from scammers.

Article continues below…

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Avoiding online scams: advice for buyers

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Avoiding online scams: advice for sellers

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How to protect yourself from online scams

Online scammers are getting more and more convincing, so H&H offers expert tips to help you protect yourself

“It is a sad fact of life that there are criminals working to target individuals who use their credit cards to pay for a vast variety of goods or services online,” said H&H editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins following the sentencing.

“So it should be no surprise that any customers should be affected and yet still we were shocked to learn of this activity.

“We take our customers’ data security extremely seriously and were of course deeply concerned and keen to work with the police to help stop the perpetrator.”

In 2015, H&H reported that McAllister had been jailed for 56 months in relation to 45 fraud and theft offences and banned from all equestrian events in England and Wales. She was also given an indefinite criminal behaviour order, banning her from contacting advertisers of horses, ponies or equestrian equipment for sale.

For more details on how to avoid being scammed, click here

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Buying items online is both hugely popular and typically very convenient. Whether it’s horses for sale, horsebox, tack, clothing or equipment, Horseandhound.co.uk can help you quickly find items you are looking for.

But while most sellers are genuine, if you are looking to buy an item online you are at risk of being targeted by online scammers, who can sound extremely legitimate.

Below are a few of the most common scams to look out for and how to protect yourself from being caught out.

1. Don’t pay up front without viewing

You see an item (typically a horsebox) advertised for sale that is significantly cheaper than others of a similar age and condition.

When you contact the seller, they claim they are out of the country/in hospital/working away, which means you are not able to view it in person. They offer instead to organise for delivery to you if you send them the money and promise you a full refund if you are not happy with it.

They may suggest you pay via an escrow account such as PayPal, Amazon Payments or Google Wallet ‘for protection’ saying the money will be held here until you confirm you are happy with the deal.

Don’t be caught out by these scams no matter how legitimate the excuse may sound or how tempting the deal is.

The scammer doesn’t have the item they are advertising – they are simply going to take your money and leave you without your money or the item.

2. Don’t buy a horse without trying it yourself

You’ve seen a horse advertised what appears to be everything you are looking for and is appropriately priced (or it may be priced cheaply for what it is).

When you speak to the seller they say they’ve had loads of interest and the only way for you to secure the horse is to give them a deposit or even pay the whole value of the horse up front without having viewed or tried the horse in person.

While the seller may be legitimate, we do not recommend you agree to buy a horse without having tried it and had a pre-purchase vetting undertaken by a vet of your own choice (not one recommended by the seller).

3. Research the seller

You can avoid dodgy sellers by doing your research. Find out what you can online about the person selling the horse, horsebox or other item.

Some dishonest dealers will pose as private sellers in order to avoid the law that governs sales by dealers.

Also check if the person who is selling is the owner or whether they are an agent for the owner. This affects your legal rights if the sale goes wrong.

4. Take a friend to viewings

When going to a viewing or a horse or horsebox, take someone with you to act as a witness to what is said and also for your personal safety.

If it is a horse you are viewing, then taking a knowledgeable friend or expert such as your instructor is a wise move.

Agree to meet the seller at their home or yard, not in a random location such as motorway services or at a show/competition venue.

5. HPI check second-hand vehicles

If you are buying a second-hand vehicle, it is worth getting an HPI check done to ensure that you are not buying a vehicle that is stolen and has been written off.

Key points

• If something seems too good to be true, it usually is
• Use your common sense; if the process doesn’t fit the expected process of buying a horse/horsebox, then do not proceed with the purchase
• Always trade face-to-face for larger purchases, but don’t take large amounts of cash with you.
• For smaller items, pay via goods and services (not friends and family) via Paypal for added protection. Bank transfers offer you no protection

The Horse & Hound Buy & Sell website brings people selling a horse or horsebox together with people who want to buy one. We will always recommend that once the introduction has been made, you conduct the rest of the sale face-to-face. Don’t part with your money without meeting the buyer in person.

Please note: Classified advertisements displayed on Horse & Hound Horses For Sale are provided by the sellers. Future Publishing Limited (Future), the publisher of Horse & Hound, is not responsible for the content of the advertisements and is unable to verify the accuracy of these advertisements. Prospective buyers should check the authenticity of the seller and view the horse prior to making any payment. Beware of scams requiring upfront payment or sellers unable to prove their identity. Future accepts no liability to a buyer in connection with these advertisements. Please refer to detailed guidance on buying horses and our advice to help buyers avoid scams.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Selling items online is both hugely popular and typically very convenient. Whether it’s a horse for sale, horsebox, tack, clothing or equipment, Horseandhound.co.uk can help you quickly find a buyer.

But while most buyers are genuine, if you are selling an item online you are at risk of being targeted by online scammers, who can sound extremely legitimate.

Below are a few of the most common scams to look out for and how to protect yourself from being caught out.

1. Don’t give your payment details to some who calls you

You have booked a website or magazine advert either over the phone or online, then you receive a call from a person who claims to be from that company saying that your payment hasn’t gone through.

The person on the other end of call may sound very professional and even use the name of a real member of staff. They may claim the problem was at the company’s end and say that if you don’t pay now, your advert will miss the deadline for publication.

In instances such as this NEVER SHARE YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS, regardless of how much information a caller may claim to have about you or your advert.

If you receive a call like this, end the call, then ring the company’s office on a different telephone and a member of staff will be able to tell you if there is an issue with your advert.

2. Don’t click on login links in emails

You receive an email that asks you to login into your online account via a link, or to confirm your account details.

The email may appear to come from an address that you believe is correct for that company, but this cannot be trusted to be the case.

Do not reply to this email or click on the link. This may take you to a fake website that is designed to steal your personal information.

3. Requests to buy an item without viewing

You receive an email in response to an online advert you have placed in which the potential buyer commonly offers you full price for the item.

Typically these emails are written in poor or broken English and include terms like ‘final price’ or ‘best price’ in them.

The ‘buyer’ won’t want to see the item, but will offer to send you a cheque or bankers draft for more than the amount you are asking and ask you to send the rest on to their agent, who will be collecting the item for them.

This scam is designed to exhort money out of you as the payment will appear to clear, but then be declined later, leaving your without the money or your item.

Top tips to avoid being hit by a scam

• Always be alert
• If something seems too good to be true, it usually is
• Use your common sense; if the email doesn’t fit the expected process of selling a horse/horsebox, then do not proceed with the sale
• Don’t give out your personal or bank account information to someone who has called you
• Be wary of offers to buy your horse or horsebox in the first email. Would you buy a horse or horsebox without seeing it? We all know that this doesn’t happen in real life.
• Be wary of anyone asking for bank details in the first email in order to make a payment.
• Always trade face-to-face
• If you are selling a vehicle, do not allow the potential buyer to test drive it without you remaining in the vehicle
• Do not allow the horse, horsebox or other item to leave your possession until you have received cleared funds in your account

The Horse & Hound website brings people selling a horse or horsebox together with people who want to buy one. We will always recommend that once the introduction has been made, you conduct the rest of the sale face-to-face. Don’t part with your horse/horsebox without meeting the buyer in person.

Place an advert with Horse & Hound

If you have a concern regarding an approach which has been made regarding an advert you have with Horse & Hound, please contact us on 0330 390 3774.

Please note: Classified advertisements displayed on Horse & Hound Horses For Sale are provided by the sellers. Future Publishing Limited (Future), the publisher of Horse & Hound, is not responsible for the content of the advertisements and is unable to verify the accuracy of these advertisements. Prospective buyers should check the authenticity of the seller and view the horse prior to making any payment. Beware of scams requiring upfront payment or sellers unable to prove their identity. Future accepts no liability to a buyer in connection with these advertisements. Please refer to detailed guidance on buying horses and our advice to help buyers avoid scams.

Online buyers have been warned to be aware of another probable scam, by individuals posing as the Horse & Hound team.

Equine photographer Alice Gipps alerted H&H to an email she received yesterday (29 May) about a Mercedes lorry she has advertised on HorseandHound.co.uk.

It appears the message had been generated via the “email seller” tab on the advertisement, as it contains the standard header and footer.

“Dear seller,” it reads. “This is a Safety check, so that all our users can safely enjoy our services!

“To avoid suspending your account on our website, please help us with the following information, Replay to this email, so you will be registered as an authentic user.”

The message, from Hound-Team@consultant.com, asks for the seller’s email address, full name, credit card number, expiry date and CVV code and ends “Tthanks, H&H Team”.

Ms Gipps told H&H the request for card details rang alarm bells – as did the “several spelling mistakes”.

Website editor Carol Phillips confirmed the email did not originate from H&H.

“It’s always disappointing when we learn scammers are using our website to try to take advantage of our hard-working readers,” she said.

“Horse & Hound would never ask for credit card details to be sent via an email. If anyone receives a message of this nature they should delete it immediately and not response to the request.”

The email did also contain the genuine H&H phone number and email address, as well as our warning to look out for scammers.

The scam warning reads: “We are aware that some very genuine sounding individuals are targeting sellers via the Horse & Hound Buy & Sell classified service.

“If you receive a telephone call from someone claiming to be from Horse & Hound, who asks for your credit card details due to a payment not going through due to a systems crash or payment being refused, DO NOT give them your card information.

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The seller said unknown scammers have been using

“End the call and redial 0800 731 0616 to report this to a bona fide member of the Horse & Hound classified team. These people sound legitimate and many people have been caught out only to find huge bills have been run up on their credit card. Please take care and do not give your card details out to anyone who calls you.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Individuals looking to purchase a horse lorry or trailer are being warned to be on the lookout for scammers after an increase in recent reports to Horse & Hound.

Typically the horse lorry or trailer is advertised online at slightly below market value, although this is not always the case. When the individual contacts the seller, he or she claims that the vehicle is not available to view in person because they are travelling abroad or because they are a member of the armed forces who cannot currently leave barracks (Edinburgh is a favourite location) or that there has been a recent death in the family.

The buyer is asked to pay for the item through an ‘Amazon holding account’, ‘Google Wallet’ or other similar transaction and told that the seller will organise for the lorry or trailer to be delivered while the money remains in the holding account. Then if the buyer isn’t happy with the vehicle, they can return it and get a full refund.

The buyer may receive a very authentic looking invoice branded ‘Amazon payments’ or ‘Google payments’ mentioning escrow, but this is all part of the elaborate scam, which has been running in various guises for a number of years.

Amazon states on its internet scams and phishing page: “DO NOT send money — by cash, wire transfer, Western Union, PayPal, MoneyGram or other means, including by Amazon Payments — to a seller who claims that Amazon or Amazon Payments will guarantee the transaction, refund your funds if you are not satisfied with the purchase, or hold your funds in escrow.”

Continued below…

How to protect yourself from online scams

Rider nearly loses £2,400 in online trailer scam

Victim of scam warns fellow horsebox owners to beware

H&H’s website editor Carol Phillips says: “Sadly there are some unscrupulous people in this world who are happy to extract money from unsuspecting buyers, who are simply looking for a way to transport their horses.

“I would strongly recommend that potential buyers insist on seeing a vehicle themselves before purchasing, as well as getting an expert to check the roadworthiness of the vehicle and validating the authenticity of ownership before any money is exchanged.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

An H&H reader is urging lorry owners not to hand over vital documentation after she was caught out by a scammer.

Claire Nightingale advertised her Leyland Daf 45 lorry in H&H in June 2013. A broker approached her, wanting to act as an agent to rent her horsebox for a year. She signed a contract, which said that her horsebox would be let out for 12 months and the person letting it, or the broker, would then pay a sum at the end of the year to keep the lorry.

“I checked the company on the credit line and I phoned the fraud squad and he wasn’t known to them,” Ms Nightingale told H&H. “He had equestrian knowledge and also recommended another client as a reference, so it all seemed legitimate.”

Ms Nightingale signed a contract with the man — who used the name George Taylor — and also gave him her V5C document, which provides proof of registration. Mr Taylor claimed he needed the document to “reregister” the vehicle for insurance purposes.

Ms Nightingale received several instalments of her monthly money before the man —who she describes as slim built and in his early 60s with a cockney accent — stopped returning her emails and phone calls.

“After the contract ran out I found three different addresses online for him. I have driven halfway around the country trying to find him,” she added.

Ms Nightingale has reported the matter to the Avon and Somerset police, which told H&H, “enquiries are continuing, although initial investigation suggests that this may be a civil matter and that no crime has been committed.”

The police are debating if it is a criminal offence because Ms Nightingale willingly handed over the lorry and its registration documentation.

A spokesman from the force added: “If you are considering leasing your own equipment you should always seek specialist legal advice.”

Jacqui Fulton, from Equine Law, reiterated that you should never hand over a V5C certificate until payment has been received in full.

“Ms Nightingale should have also asked the alleged broker for his ID — passport and a recent utility bill,” she added.

“This is a civil matter, but it is also possibly a criminal matter as it seems that the lorry has been stolen if the man has disappeared with it and stopped making the agreed payments.”

Ref: Horse & Hound; 12 February 2015

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Horse walkers are being advertised for well below their value on eBay, in a scam that is being investigated by police.

The adverts are all for a Monarch Horse Exerciser Consort Plus (not pictured) with a roof at various locations including London, Stoke and Ashbourne.

One small-livery yard owner, who preferred to remain anonymous, lost £4,500 after trying to buy a secondhand Monarch horse walker on eBay.

The advert had two pictures and a brief description of the walker, which the seller said was in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire and could be easily delivered.

The buyer was alerted to the fraud when she rang Monarch to ask if the walker would run on a generator. The company asked where the horse walker was and warned she might be being scammed as they had had reports of fraudulent activities.

Suspicious, the buyer asked for her money back. Despite the seller saying he would refund her, he never did.

The case was reported to the police who said it was linked to a European international criminal gang and is being investigated.

Monarch Equestrian has had several reports from others who have also fallen victim to the second-hand Monarch horse walker scam on eBay.

The company put its own advert out on eBay four weeks ago using the same pictures as the fraudulent horse walker listing.

When a potential buyer clicks on the ad by Monarch Equestrian they are warned about the fraud, which is currently taking place.

The ad stays up for the same time as the fraudulent listing and is repeated every time one goes up.

“We log every Monarch walker that goes out and if anyone is worried they should call us and we will be able to verify the authenticity of the product,” said Fiona Hardy from Monarch Equestrian.

A press officer from eBay told H&H: “Fraudsters use very sophisticated methods to try and emulate trusted websites, which is why it is so important to remember that any transaction not completed on the eBay platform, including a transaction where a customer follows instructions on an email and sends money to a bank account, is not an eBay transaction.

“People should always complete purchases or sales on eBay and PayPal and never rely on a third party email,” he added.

Buyers should beware of sellers who push for speedy completion of a transaction or refuse to allow the buyer to physically inspect a product before the purchase, warns eBay.

H&H has also had reports of scam adverts on the internet for 3.5 tonne lorries (news, 2 October).

The H&H ad team has had no issues, but H&H’s Robina Shahid added: “If there are any problems then we will act immediately. If you are in doubt, call us on 0800 316 5450.”

The Police were not able to comment at this stage as not enough information was available.

➤ How to avoid online scams

➤ Be aware of scams as second-hand sales boom [H&H VIP]

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (6 October 2014).

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Research undertaken by H&H has shown that 77% of readers have bought second-hand or pre-owned equestrian items.

The most common items include rugs, stable equipment and clothing, with the majority stating that “value for money” is the primary reason for choosing second-hand items over new products.

“I have two horses and have barely bought anything brand new as it was too expensive to buy new at the time,” said H&H reader Philippa Grainger.

Fellow reader Jackie Alexander added: “Horsey items are usually very dear so, particularly in the current economic climate, everyone is looking to save money where we can. I’m sure that this is a growing trend.”

It looks as if the second-hand market is set to increase, as 49% of the readers questioned who had not already bought used items said they would do so in the future.

Brands are best

Well-known and luxury brands tend to fare best on the second-hand market, with owners trusting their quality.

Tricia Bracegirdle, senior saddle technician for Childéric Saddles UK, told H&H that the company sees a strong appetite for already used products.

“From our perspective, our bespoke saddles are selling well but we too have noticed a growing demand in second-hand saddles,” she said.

The increase has led to the company offering anyone who has indirectly bought a second-hand Childéric saddle a check and advice for a fee of £75 — with £35 of the cost being donated to the Animal Health Trust.

“As the second-hand marketplace continues to flourish, we need to ensure that these saddles fit the horses in order to avoid discomfort and muscle and nerve damage,” added Ms Bracegirdle.

Second-hand side saddles are often more popular than new ones.

“The good old name saddles are still highly sought after, due to the quality and workmanship,” said an H&H reader. “I would buy a 1920/1930s side saddle in a heartbeat over most brand new side saddles available.”

Earlier this year the Side Saddle Association put out a call for second-hand saddles to be made available due to a “desperate need” for equipment (news, 24 July).

Dangers of second-hand purchasing

Although there are many upsides to buying second-hand, precautions must be taken to avoid fraud.

H&H reader Nicola Strong had to threaten to take a case to the small claims court after she transferred more than £200 but never received her goods from someone on a Facebook group.

The seller claimed that Royal Mail had lost the package and refused to give Ms Strong a refund.

“Shortly after the seller received the initial letter informing her that she would be taken to the small claims court if the situation were not rectified, I received a cheque through the post for the full amount,” said Ms Strong.

“Thankfully I had kept all the messages, and took screen shots of them. If I hadn’t kept the evidence it would have been more difficult as it would have been my word against hers.

“Lesson learnt though now — if I am not collecting in person — I would only buy an item using PayPal so that at least you are offered buyer protection.”

H&H products editor and eBay addict Alice Collins warns purchasers to be cautious.

“The second-hand market is booming, but I’d advise exercising caution on two fronts,” she said.

“Firstly, I would recommend only buying from websites where there is some sort of buyer guarantee and/or dispute resolution mechanism. Secondly, avoid buying items where damage may not be obvious to the naked eye, for example helmets.”

This news story was first published in H&H magazine (6 November 2014).

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Horse owners are being urged to be extra vigilant when buying horseboxes over the internet, especially 3.5 tonne lorries, after reports of a rise in scam adverts.

Solihull Riding Club’s Steve Scott found that two of the ads he replied to were scams. Mr Scott spotted a Vauxhall Movano in the Preloved adverts.

The ad said the owners lived near London, but when he asked to see the lorry he was told they had moved to Wick, near John O’Groats.

Mr Scott had an email from the advertisers on 30 August saying they could ship the lorry to him for £89, providing he transferred the purchase price.

However, on the same day he received an email from Preloved warning him that there had been a complaint against the seller. The company removed the ad.

“The complaint is currently under investigation, but we would like to remind members to be extremely cautious. If something appears too good to be true, it probably is,” said a Prevloved spokesman.

Mr Scott then replied to another ad for a 3.5 tonne Citroen Rela on Trade-It, which operates in the south-west.

“I sent a text but had a reply saying it was a grooming parlour,” said Mr Scott. He contacted Trade-It and was told the advert was being taken down.

“If you can’t go and see the horsebox — walk away,” warned Mr Scott, who wanted to make other H&H readers aware of the issue.

Liz Harker, a saddle fitter at Horsesense Saddlers in the West Midlands, has also had problems with scam ads when trying to buy a 3.5 tonne box.

“One said the lorry was in one place, but it then appeared to be miles away. It didn’t look genuine,” she told H&H.

The H&H ad team has had no issues, but H&H’s Robina Shahid added: “If there are any problems then we will act immediately. If you are in doubt call us on 0800 316 5450.”

NB: The lorry pictured top is for illustration purposes only and has not been involved in any of the scams mentioned above.

How to protect yourself from online scams

Online scammers are getting more and more convincing, so H&H offers expert tips to help you protect yourself

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A sweet-talking swindler has gone to ground after playing one too many tricks. Welsh farmer Richard Wyn Lewis, 42 — who is believed to have been operating under several names and previously served 8 months in jail for insurance fraud — has reportedly been conning people into “selling” their horses before funds have cleared.

He is thought to have masqueraded as a bona fide English event rider. There is now a warrant for his arrest in Britain and Ireland.

Owner Noleen Kieran, from Co Louth, advertised her Vechta home-bred Pension Plan (pictured above) in January. A man called her on 16 January, wanting to buy him immediately for €2,000.

“He said the money would be in my bank by Monday morning and he would collect that day,” said Mrs Kieran. “I googled his name and he seemed to be a reputable event rider in England.”

The buyer had the horse vetted and rang Mrs Kieran 3 times daily to check his money had transferred. By Monday morning, the payment had still not arrived, but as the transporters — who have a good reputation — came to collect the horse, she let him go.

“The buyer called and said he understood if I wanted to pull out, but he’d pay me cash in person,” said Mrs Kieran. “He offered my daughter a job in his yard. He was convincing and I felt under pressure as the transporters were waiting.

“It was during that spell of bad weather, when internet services were down, so it seemed reasonable.”

For 4 weeks, the buyer strung Mrs Kieran along, calling to check if the payment had arrived. But since failing to attend a meeting to pay personally, he has been uncontactable.

Mrs Kieran had been told the horse had been spotted in Wales — near where he was delivered — until last week, but he has since disappeared and she has lost hope of tracing him.

Wait for the payment

Jacqui Fulton, a solicitor specialising in the equestrian industry, said that because horse thefts usually come under civil law, the best victims can hope for — even if they trace the horse — is a county court judgement. This should legally enforce payment, but is useless if the defendant has no assets.

“Don’t let go of your horse until funds have cleared,” said Ms Fulton. “A bankers draft or cheque is not enough — fraudsters don’t care that it’s illegal to cancel a cheque.”

The Gardai (Irish police) advised Mrs Kieran to post an advert about the theft on the website she had used to sell the horse. She received 8 calls alerting her to Richard Wyn Lewis, who since 2012 has gathered a reputation for acquiring horses without paying and then disappearing.

“This rang a bell because he told the vet his name was Richard Wyn Lewis, but to me he called himself Ian Wills,” she said.

There is an English event rider called Ian Wills, who was horrified to find his name being used in this manner and went to the police.

Mr Wills had “no idea” that his identity and reputation was being used to acquire horses dishonestly until a friend, fellow 4-star event rider Francis Whittington, alerted him last month (22 February) following the theft of Noleen Kieran’s Pension Plan under Ian’s name.

The case is now with the police fraud department.

“It’s very unnerving,” said Ian, who fears his own reputation has been sullied. “It’s hard enough making a name for yourself in this industry without having mud slung at you.”

Wyn Lewis is also known to have used the names Rhys Williams and Ian Evans.

He nearly caught out another Irish vendor, using the name Rhys Williams and with an accomplice to masquerade as a bank manager. But the vendor realised the con just in time.

“He said he’d pay €10,500 (£8,750) for a pair of my 2-year-olds and would transfer funds immediately,” said John Keane from Co Limerick. “He said I could call his bank manager, a Mark Lord at Lloyds TSB in Bangor, which I checked online [listed as regional agricultural manager].

“The next day the money was not there, and he put me on the phone to ‘Mark Lord’, who vouched for Rhys Williams’ bank balance.”

But, when the horses were at the port, bad weather intervened and before the next crossing, Mr Keane was tipped off. After checking that “Rhys Williams’” phone numbers were the same as those given to Noleen for “Ian Wills”, he pulled out of the deal.

Wyn Lewis’ methods vary and probably involve several accomplices, but he tends to build good rapports, which is how he has swindled wily Irish dealers.

In 2012 he bought, and paid for, 2 horses from an Irish dealer, who wishes to remain anonymous. They became friends and the dealer recommended him to his neighbours. But 6 months later, Wyn Lewis took a third horse without paying and vanished.

“I’m not a gullible person, but I trusted him because we were friends and he’d paid me previously,” said the dealer.

The Gardai and police told H&H they cannot comment on an “ongoing investigation”. The Gardai confirmed there is a warrant out for Richard Wyn Lewis’ arrest.

H&H tried to contact him on 3 numbers he has been using, but there was no response.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (13 March, 2014)

Horse & Hound advertisers are warned to be on their guard against fraudsters pretending to be H&H staff.

H&H has received a number of calls from people who have been contacted by scammers asking for their credit card details. They sound genuine and claim the initial payment for a Horse & Hound advert has failed to go through. Victims then find money missing from their account.

The calls often target people who have included their name in the advert. In the most recent cases the scammer has claimed to be H&H classified manager Leila Kojouri, which gives them greater authenticity.

“A woman called saying she was from H&H and that there had been an issue with the payment,” said Janet Morley, who was a victim.

“I had no reason to believe they weren’t from H&H, so I foolishly handed over my [bank] details.

“I mentioned there was a small error in the advert and she said she’d give me a free advert the following week. Alarm bells rang when the advert wasn’t in the next issue and money went out of my account.

“Fortunately I’ve got the money back [from my bank], but it was a lot of hassle and caused some distress.”

Leila Kojouri, H&H classified sales manager, urged advertisers to be vigilant.

“If anyone calls you asking for payment details, end the call then call us back on 0800 731 0616. This is a freephone number so it won’t cost you any extra. Please don’t be caught out.”

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Have you been the victim of a convincing advertising scam? If so, H&H would like you to come forward to help us catch the culprits.

The scammers telephone H&H advertisers, claiming to be part of our advertising team. They then claim that, owing to an earlier glitch taking payment, they need to take card details again.

One customer had £1,200 stolen from their account.

In July H&H warned readers about the scam, but the problem appears to be on the increase.

“We are taking this matter very seriously,” said H&H private classifieds manager Paula-Jayne Mitchell, “and would ask anyone who has fallen victim to the scam to come forward.

“We have reported it to the police and we have a few leads so far, but we need affected readers to come forward in the hope we can find the culprits and stop them.”

• Anyone with information or has been victim please email paula-jayne_mitchell@ipcmedia.com or call 0203 148 2526

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Police and Horsewatch groups are warning yards to be wary of cut-price services after an apparent muck disposal scam.

People in counties including Wilts, Berks, Northants, Somerset and Hants report paying for a skip to remove their equestrian waste that has never arrived.

The company offers an “equine waste recycling service” to supply muck skips and empty them for 12 months for a cut-price fee.

Richard O’Neill Kemp from Glebe Farm Equestrian Centre, Northants, said: “I got an email, but was wary as it sounded very reasonable, so I called them.

“They said [the muck] would be sold on for biofuel and compost, so I paid £400.

“That was more than a month ago and still no skip. I’ve contacted the police and the company, who said I’d get a refund, but I’m yet to see any money.”

Jan Tupper from Arniss Equestrian in Fordingbridge, Hants, told H&H she fell victim to the scam in October.

“We received a flyer, paid £600 and ordered one skip, which was delivered, but no one came back to empty it,” she said.

“We took the company to court in March and won, but have seen no money.”

Another victim, who asked not to be named, said: “We ordered a skip and it all seemed legitimate. We paid around £800 for two skips, one arrived.

“This was in April. I asked for a refund but the cheque bounced. I’ve taken it to the police.”

Wiltshire Police is urging any other victims to get in touch to help with the case. The company could not be contacted for comment.

If you have concerns, contact your local police force, tel: 101.

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (21 June 2012)

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Important warning for all advertisers from H&H’s Head of Classified sales

We have recently been made aware of several cases where advertisers have been called and asked for payment / card details due to a transaction not going through or a systems crash which has led to card details being lost.

Unfortunately these are scams which are becoming more commonplace and the people that are carrying them out are highly convincing professionals who are very astute at getting you to part with your card details.

Horse & Hound may call advertisers for payment details, however if you have an advert running with us we will always tell you at the time of payment if there has been a problem with the transaction.

If you do not recognise the person calling, or are at all unsure about the legitimacy of the call, then please do not give out your card details. Instead, end the call, then redial the Horse & Hound classified team on Freephone 0800 316 5450 to ensure that you are speaking to a genuine member of staff.

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Horse owners have been targeted by two scams within the space of a week.

The first, which originally surfaced in January, has re-appeared on Facebook, Twitter and internet forums as diverse as those of H&H and pop band Take That.

It claims that 52 young thoroughbreds will be slaughtered if they are not swiftly “re-homed by Saturday”.

It asks recipients to ring a number, which seems to have been disconnected.

Retraining of Racehorses’ Di Arbuthnot said: “We were bombarded with emails, so quickly looked into this. The British Horseracing Authority confirmed it was a scam.”

The second scam, which comes in letter and email form, taps into Olympic fever by telling recipients they have been shortlisted to be a ring steward at the Olympics.

It purports to be sent by “Rob Hoestra Olympic selection committee chairman [sic]”, asking you to ring a premium rate 0906 phone number for more details.

Chief executive of British Showjumping (BS) Iain Graham said: “We will notify LOCOG that these letters are in circulation again [they first appeared in September 2010].

“Neither BS nor Rob Hoekstra [performance manager of the British showjumping team] has any involvement with these letters.”

Jamey Johnson, head of government organisation Action Fraud, said: “Fraudsters are constantly adapting the way they operate and always look for a way of appealing to their target audience.”

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (18 August, 2011)

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Thirteen people from the UK and France have been sentenced for their parts in a £6m black market veterinary medicines scheme.

Regine and Ronald Meddes, the Picardy-based owners of Eurovet — which flooded the UK market with unlawful drugs — were sentenced to 20 and 28 months’ jail, at Croydon Crown Court on 7 July.

Richard Jones and June Connelly, who run Henry Field Stud in Pershore, Worcs, received suspended sentences of six and four months, for importing drugs.

Jones, along with Peter Lock of Brentwood Essex, was the distributor for Eurovet in the UK (news, 19 May).

Lock was sentenced to 10 months’ jail, suspended for two years.

Three major customers were also convicted, including artificial insemination practitioner Richard James, of Llysonnen Road, Carmarthen, who sold £36,000 of drugs to farmers in his area at a 25% mark-up.

He was ordered to pay back £45,551 and perform 100 hours’ community service.

The company has no connection to Eurovet Animal Health Limited of Cambridge.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (14 July, 2011)

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A stud farm boss and a riding school owner accused of dealing in illegal veterinary medicines — playing a key role in a £6m scam — have both been convicted on all counts.

Richard Jones, 60, who owns Henry Field Stud, Naunton Beauchamp, Pershore and Peter Lock, 53, of Knaves Hall, Warren Lane, Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex, were bailed until July 4 for a three-day sentencing hearing, which will also include another seven co-defendants.

The Croydon Crown Court jury on Tuesday (23 May) convicted Jones on 19 charges and Lock on 15 charges of illegally importing and distributing unauthorised or prescription-only veterinary medicines.

A Defra investigation revealed the illegal trade in veterinary medicines including anti-inflammatories, anabolic steroids, tranquillisers, antibiotics, sedatives, painkillers and other miscellaneous products administered to horses, household pets and farm animals.

They came from married couple Ronald Meddes, 72, and Regine Lansley, 61, – nicknamed ‘Ronnie and Reggie’, the bosses of France-based ‘Eurovet’.

This company has no connection to the Cambridge-based Eurovet Animal Health.

The court heard Lock’s 18-horse school received deliveries of up to half a ton of medication from the French company.

Lock was accused of buying £155,000 of veterinary medicines between January 2004 and September 2008 and Jones £61,000 worth from January 2004.

The sentencing was adjourned the defence team produced a report compiled by a vet, which they claim shows the unauthorised medicines cause no harm to animals.

Defra was granted time to study and respond to the report.

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Two British equestrian proprietors are accused of playing a part in Europe’s biggest illegal veterinary medicine scam, worth £6million.

Between them, Peter Lock, 53, of Colmar Farm Riding School in Brentwood, Essex, and Richard Jones, 60, of Henry Field Stud in Naunton Beauchamp, Worcs, deny 34 charges of importing illegal medicines from France and unlawfully distributing them in the UK.

“This is part of a massive case concerning the illegal importation and sale of unauthorised veterinary medicines,” prosecutor Andrew Marshall told Croydon Crown Court on 12 May.

He said a raid by authorities on a warehouse in France, owned by Ronald Meddes, 72, and Regine Lansley, 61, in early 2008 resulted in the biggest seizure of illegal veterinary medicine in Europe.

They were bosses of “Eurovet” [completely unrelated to the Cambridge-based firm ‘Eurovet Animal Health’] and allegedly sold the medicines — many of which originated in Australia and India — to Lock and Jones to distribute in the UK.

Meddes, Lansley and seven others have pleaded guilty to a number of charges and will be sentenced at the end of the trial.

The prosecution, brought by Defra, accuses Lock of buying £155,000 of medicines — including painkillers and anabolic steroids — between January 2004 and September 2008 and Jones £61,000 worth from January 2004.

“All these products went through the black market,” said Mr Marshall. “They were being distributed by people not licensed to do it, so others, who are not authorised to do so, could administer them.”

The court heard Meddes and Lansley operated companies under the Eurovet banner and when veterinary medicines, that covered 130 cubic metres, were seized by Defra in April 2008, they restarted the operation from Belgium.

Colmar Riding School was also raided and illegal veterinary medicines were found there, alleged Mr Marshall.

The trial continues.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (19 May, 2011)

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Horse & Hound has issued an important warning for all advertisers to watch out for fraudsters.

Head of classified sales Rob Edwards said: “We are aware of several cases where advertisers have been called and asked for payment or card details due to a transaction not going through or a systems crash which has led to card details being lost.

“Unfortunately these are scams which are becoming more commonplace and the people that are carrying them out are highly convincing professionals who are very astute at getting you to part with your card details.”

He said Horse & Hound may call advertisers for payment details, but if you have an advert running with us we will always tell you at the time of payment if there has been a problem with the transaction.

If you do not recognise the person calling or are at all unsure about the legitimacy of the call then please do not give your card details just call the Horse & Hound classified team on Freephone 0800 316 5450 to ensure that you are speaking to a genuine member of staff.

And please do let us know if you have had any calls over this weekend – H&H does not take payment details over the weekend.

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Advertisers on a Hampshire equestrian website are being targeted by scammers who are trying to steal their credit card details.

Dozens of users of the New Forest Equestrian Directory (NFED) are receiving calls from criminals posing as site editor Steve Kitcher and asking for credit card numbers.

“They say there’s a problem with their advert and ask for the details,” said Steve. “We had a number of instances of it last year but, in the past few weeks, I have been contacted by dozens of my customers, asking if they have been scammed.”

Mr Kitcher says he only ever contacts his customers by email and would be able to quote their agreed password.

“If you are concerned, hang up and contact me,” he added.

Some advertisers have lost money to the scammers, but not Tina McDonald of New Milton, Hants, who is selling her daughter’s pony through the website.

“A man with a Scottish accent phoned me yesterday [10 March] saying my payment had not gone through,” she told H&H. “I had my credit card in my hand and was going to give him my number, but when I asked him for my password he said it was confidential, which rang an alarm in my mind. I was very lucky not to be taken in.”

Hampshire Police is investigating the matter.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (17 March, 2011)

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Equestrian businesses are being warned about a scam in which they are invited to advertise in a non-existent magazine.

Former policeman Iain Asher of Oxfordshire runs web-based rug company Friday Fox and was contacted by a Liverpudlian publishers, believed by Trading Standards to be Weinstein Williams.

“I was telephoned [on 19 April] by a man who said he was publishing an equine crime prevention magazine to be distributed free to 25,000 readers,” said Mr Asher.

“When he claimed it would be sent to every jockey, trainer, owner and breeder in the north it rang alarm bells as nobody has a database of that nature.”

Friday Fox was offered an advert for £395. Luckily, Mr Asher smelt a rat and rang Trading Standards instead.

Jane Bradley of Trading Standards North West said it is investigating Weinstein Williams after numerous complaints.

She said: “Our investigation is ongoing, but I have statements from companies who paid for adverts that never materialised.

“It looks like the bogus callers rang advertisers from Equitrader [a legitimate Cheshire magazine].”

Brian Gilsenan of Equitrader told H&H: “It’s very annoying that we have been caught up in this. Sometimes the conmen even tell our customers they have been recommended by us. They seem professional but in the end it’s a scam.”

Warwickshire haylage and bedding supplier Garry Hickman paid around £200.

He said: “I’ve had hundreds of calls from these people, and I fell for it. I never saw my advert because I don’t think the magazine was ever printed.”

In a statement, Weinstein Williams said: “We take client security very seriously and are in the process of instigating legal action. We have also created a dossier of information that is being investigated by the police.”

Weinstein Williams is pursuing action against Trading Standards in the High Court.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (27 May, ’10)

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Event rider Kitty Boggis has broken her silence over her doomed sponsorship deal with Global Sponsorship Group (GSG) to warn other riders not to be taken in.

The Metropolitan Police Service launched a fraud investigation into GSG earlier this month, just weeks after Kitty announced a six-figure deal with the company.

But today she announced she had parted company with GSG and alleged the deal had been a scam.

She said: “After taking legal advice, I was instructed not to say anything about GSG until my contract was terminated, which has prevented me issuing a press release until now to warn fellow riders not to contact CSG in the belief a sponsor would be found for them.

“Following my sponsorship package the company was publicised in the equestrian press.

“I am obviously disappointed that such a potentially exciting career opportunity turned out to be a scam and I am very sorry for anyone who did pay GSG in the hope of a securing a sponsor.

“I would never have been associated with such [a company] if I had known the full story about it.”

In October the company promised Kitty hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy a suitable horse for the 2012 Olympics.

Although some athletes reportedly paid £500 to GSG for its help in finding them a sponsor, Kitty handed over no money.

Her sister Lucy Boggis, a heptathlete, was also sponsored by GSG.

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A “bogus” vet has been jailed for two years for treating horses, dogs and even people without qualifications.

Russell Lewis Oakes, 43, of Shore Road, Hesketh Bank, Preston, was arrested in March 2008 after botching the castration of a Welsh pony.

He was found to be practising as both a vet and a doctor using fake certificates and charged with 84 offences related to fraud by false representation as a medical doctor, fraud by false representation as a veterinary surgeon, deception, sexual assault, cruelty to animals, perverting the course of justice and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Yesterday — Monday, 11 January — Russell Oakes was sentenced to two years in prison by Liverpool Crown Court, after admitting 41 charges.

The other charges were dropped by the prosecution, including animal cruelty and offences of sexual assault relating to an internal examination he performed on a 17-year-old girl who had damaged her pelvis after a riding accident.

The court heard that Oakes — a registered osteopath — could have earned as much as £50,000 from “Formby Equine Vets”, a bogus practice he ran from an equestrian yard at Warren Farm, Formby, Merseyside.

Police were tipped off about Oakes by vets in the area who had become concerned about the standard and quality of his veterinary work.

In March 2008 local vet Seamus Miller told H&H he had concerns about Oakes since the day he set up Formby Equine Vets.

Oakes had registered as a vet in the UK after buying a fake degree certificate on the internet.

The court heard how, during the botched castration of the Welsh pony in March 2007, Oakes fumbled over administering anaesthetic and cut the animal’s artery.

Prosecuting, Henry Riding said: “He attempted to rectify the bleed with rubber bands and a clamp designed for castrating young lambs.”

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons cannot instantly strike Oakes from its register, and declined to comment until a disciplinary hearing has taken place.

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Eventer Kitty Boggis is among athletes who may have fallen victim to a suspected fraud.

Last month we revealed how 27-year-old Kitty was to receive a “six-figure budget” to buy herself a potential Olympic ride.

The money was to come from The Global Sponsorship Group (GSG), which claims to match sportmen with corporate sponsors.

Now that company is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police after leading athletes — including gold medal-winning runner Mark Lewis Francis — expressed concerns.

They said they had received no money from the company.

Kitty told H&H: “I am taking legal action but I don’t want to mess that up by saying anything at this stage.”

GSG asked athletes for a £500 fee before matching them with sponsors. Kitty’s sister Lucy Boggis, a heptathlete and seen on TV as the Gladiator Tempest, is also sponsored by GSG.

GSG appears to have left its Croydon offices and was not available for comment.

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The horseworld has been targeted by conmen again this week, including an event rider who beleives he has been contacted by fraudsters three times this year.

Last month, eventer Clayton Fredericks had a narrow escape with a conman who tried to buy a horse with a false banker’s draft (news, 5 February).

Now, fellow eventer Paul Tapner thinks the same man contacted him offering to pay the full £40,000 asking price for a horse he is selling.

“I told him I don’t sell horses untried, “ Paul told H&H.

Then, on Wednesday (11 February), Paul was emailed by a man from Wales who said he wanted to buy another horse, Lilly, unseen and would send extra money to pay the transportation company.

The third scam came by text message on Friday (13 January).

“I have been selling horses in the UK for 10 years and to my knowledge I have never been approached in this way before,” said Paul.

Sellers of less expensive horses are being targeted, too.

Paul Neve, who runs Stylaways stud in March, Cambridgeshire, was emailed by a man in response to an advert for a broodmare he’s selling for £2,000. The man wanted to buy the mare unseen and pay extra to cover transportation.

Scam protection advice is available at www.consumerdirect.gov

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (19 February, ’09)

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More articles on horse buying scams

Conmen are targeting individuals placing private advertisements in the magazine, H&H has discovered.

Private sales manager Paula Jayne Mitchell says that 15 clients have rung her over the past month concerned about calls, purporting to be from H&H, claiming payments have not been received and asking for credit card details.

“And those are only the people who realised what was going on,” she added. “A couple have parted with money and did not realise it was a scam until they got their bank statements.”

Eventer Nick Gauntlett contacted H&H after he received a call on 5 February.

“I had an advert in the 29 January issue and got a call saying the payment had not gone through.

“Luckily, I had just been looking at my statement online and said that I thought it had. The caller then hung up.”

Customers concerned are advised not to give out details and to ring our advertising team on 0800 7310616.

Ms Mitchell said: “If you are worried, do give us a ring. If you can get a contact number for the caller, that would help, too.”

She said H&H is considering additional security measures so advertisers can identify if a call is genuine or not.

Anyone who falls victim to scammers is urged to report the incident to the police.

February is Consumer Direct’s Scam Awareness month.

Visit: www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (12 February, ’09)

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A woman has been arrested in Essex for obtaining horses around the country by deception.

Inspector Peter Gardner of Essex Police told H&H that he had been investigating the woman in connection with loaned horses that had been sold on fraudulently. He had also been exploring possible links with a similar trader in Derbyshire.

He explained: “We’ve been collating evidence, but it is not a clear-cut matter — there are several issues involved. The person is currently on police bail until 15 July while the Crown Prosecution Service [CPS] reviews the evidence.”

Valerie Crawford, chairman of Essex Horsewatch, which works in partnership with Essex Police, said three owners of lame horses had each responded to “practically the same advert” placed on Horsemart.co.uk and in the local Yellow Advertiser newspaper. The advert claimed to be seeking a companion for a lame mare.

Ms Crawford said: “We think the same person took all these companion horses and then sold them on. When a horse is on loan as a companion it remains the property of the owner.”

Stuart Farr of Laytons Solicitors in Manchester advises anyone arranging a loan with a stranger to: “Check out the ID of the person you will be loaning to very carefully. Get a loan agreement and record each party’s responsibilities.”

Loaning dos and donts

• Advertise widely and word your advert carefully. Be discerning — don’t just accept the first applicant that comes along.
• Let prospective loanees spend some time with your horse and watch how they handle him.
• Carefully vet the person you are loaning your horse or pony to. Ask to see proof of identity with an address, and references. Wherever possible visit the premises at which your horse will be kept and check them out with local suppliers such as tack shops and feed merchants.
• Make sure your horse is freezemarked and/or microchipped and retain the documents.
• Ensure the loanee will be able to provide for your animal’s welfare adequately. If your horse has specialist needs check what arrangements will be in place for its care.
• Get a solicitor to draw up a fair and reasonable contract for both parties to sign. Review the contract on a regular basis. Take nothing for granted, even with friends. Circumstances do change, so be businesslike.
• Unless it has formed part of the original agreement, do not expect to be able to visit your horse whenever you please.
• If you have cause for concern, such as a breach of contract, contact a solicitor for advice on the best course of action.

Read this news story in full, including the views of the owners involved, in today’s issue of Horse & Hound (12 July, ’07)

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Five members of the pointing community have been charged by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) with running a “ringer” — a horse that looks like another but is actually much better — in two point-to-point races and attempting a similar scam in a third race.

The matter first came to the attention of the HRA in April 2006 when a horse called Quintin, owned by Robert Tierney and due to be ridden by Charles Gundry, was set to run at Staintondale point-to-point.

The Staintondale stewards were alerted to the fact that Quintin may in fact be another horse. After a veterinary inspection, it was discovered that Quintin was actually a horse called Max ‘N Limbo.

The HRA then launched an inquiry into Mr Tierney and subsequently uncovered two other episodes in which he is suspected of entering ringers in two point-to-point races in February 2006.

The other individuals who have been charged are Richard Tierney, Charles Gundry, Ruth Marley and Roger Marley. A date for the inquiries is yet to be set.

It is the first suspected ringers case in British racing since the famous Flockton Grey incident in 1982.

Don’t miss next week’s H&H (19 July) for the latest update on this story

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Increasing numbers of advertisers have contacted Horse & Hound after being approached by individuals involved in attempted internet-based scams.

Some horse owners who have advertised their animals online have received dubious offers from “buyers”. The buyers (almost always based overseas) promise to send a cheque that more than covers the cost of the horse and shipping, before asking the vendor to wire the excess amount back to their “agent”. The cheques, if they arrive, bounce.

“No one buys a horse unseen, so it rang alarm bells straight away,” said Maria Featherstone, who was contacted by “Bobby” via e-mail after advertising her Thoroughbred mare for sale.

She explained: “He said I was not to stress myself with worry about shipping — he would arrange it all. His accountant wanted my bank details so he could pay by banker’s cheque. I e-mailed him back saying: ‘You must think I’m stupid.’”

Ian Crofts received an e-mail from a Dr Bill McDonalds after advertising his dark bay Dutch dressage gelding for sale. In faltering English, Dr McDonalds offered to send a cheque for £24,750, from which Mr Crofts should deduct his payment of £19,750 and then “wire the excess amount to my shipping agent via Western Union money transfer”.

Mr Crofts forwarded the e-mail to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). However, the OFT has no powers to assist individual consumers in their private disputes. Mr Crofts was advised to contact the internet service provider (ISP) from where the scam e-mail originated, and also to consult the police. The ISP concerned, Yahoo, said it had taken “appropriate action” against the account in question.

As no money or goods had been exchanged in either of these cases, no crime had taken place, explained police community support officer Mark Douglas, who advised Maria Featherstone.

He said: “The internet is quite often used for stuff like this, but sending these e-mails isn’t a crime in itself. Our advice to anyone selling anything is don’t hand over any goods until you’re happy that the payment has been made. And remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

There is very little data available on the number of people who fall prey to these scams as they usually go unreported.

Andy Williams, H&H’s classified advertising manager, said that although these bogus buyers are a small minority, certain precautions are advisable.

He reasoned: “We always tell advertisers to ask for ID and a landline number. This way, if something does go wrong you can find the buyer.”

Both parties should sign a receipt, Mr Williams added, and online payments are both the quickest and safest method of transferring money.

Readers have reported experiencing problems advertising on numerous sites, including horseandhound.co.uk and The Pony Club.

“We do as much as we can to protect buyers, but we provide a platform for people to advertise their horses and there’s only so much you can do,” admitted Pony Club press officer Candy Burnyeat.

The New Forest Pony Breeders and Cattle Society and Irish Draught Horse Society websites also include e-mails from advertisers who have been approached by suspicious buyers.

The scams are not confined to equine advertisers. AutoTrader is the biggest-selling car magazine in the UK, advertising around 350,000 cars per issue.

“Criminals do use AutoTrader, so we have a whole set of precautions and initiatives in place to try to discourage them and prevent crime, including an online crime centre,” said Karen Hughes, the magazine’s media consultant. “It’s a small minority of people praying on car buyers or sellers. It is essential to use your common sense.”

Could your buyer be bogus?

Be wary if:

• The buyer is overseas, wishing to buy sight unseen
• The English in the e-mail is poor
• Is the phrase last price or best price included?
• Is the buyer proposing to send you MORE than the cost of purchase and shipping?

Better to:

• Insist on exact payment only
• Request a phone number and address
• Under no circumstances, part with goods until payment has COMPLETELY cleared
• Alert the internet service provider (ISP) from which the e-mail was sent

For more information and advice on the issues raised in this article, visit:

www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/buying/tag/Horse_buying_scams

www.oft.gov.uk/Consumer/Scams/default.htm

www.autotrader.co.uk/CARS/selling/dealing_with_buyers.jsp

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (28 December, ’06)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) has warned against buying horses unseen and unvetted over the Internet because the practice appears to be on the increase.

A spokesman said: “We believe certain individuals are buying horses very cheaply abroad, giving them bute if they’re arthritic, and advertising them on websites, from which people are buying horses unseen. We’ve also heard that some are being sold with illegal passports.

“We have had at least a dozen calls in the past two months from people who have paid a substantial sum for horses from dealers’ websites, sometimes unseen, and have been very disappointed in their purchase.

“There are guarantees offered should a buyer not be happy with their purchase, but the reality of gaining any compensation is tending to prove very difficult

in practice.

“There have been no confirmed welfare cases yet as a direct result of this but the ILPH is very keen to stress that you should never buy a horse unseen and unvetted. An unwanted horse is potentially a future welfare case for us.”

Dealers advertise either on their own sites — one of which even has a specific “buy without viewing” option — or place adverts on general horse trading sites. Managers of several established Internet sites have moved to “blacklist” certain dealers about whom they have received complaints.

Meanwhile this month, one site launched what it claims is the UK’s first horse auction site, offering a “full money-back guarantee” and with starting bids as low as £250.

Rachel Flynn, from Taylor Vinters Solicitors, a solicitor experienced in handling buying and selling disputes, warned: “Guarantees are only as good as the dealers who are behind them. Whoever people buy from, they should make their own enquiries because unscrupulous dealers make it impossible in practice to bring a horse back: the rule is always buyer beware.

“If you buy from a dealer rather than a private individual, you do at least have some protection under the Sale of Goods Act. But that protection can be defined further [and perhaps compromised] by agreeing to terms and conditions.”

The ILPH has heard of a number of private prosecutions pending against Internet advertisers, although it is not involved in any cases itself.

Read this story in full in today’s Horse & Hound (30 June, ’05)

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Caveat emptor — let the buyer beware — is more appropriate for buying horses than almost any other purchase. As well as the difficulty of assessing whether the horse suits you and your purpose, a small proportion of unscrupulous vendors use “scams” to bump up prices and pass on unsuitable or downright dangerous animals.

Examples of common scams include:

• horses that are not the “owners” to sell
• a long journey to see a horse that has already been sold
• the seller taking a “finder’s fee”
• the horse not being as advertised
• horses being doped
• the seller offering false references

Although some of these examples may sound a little far fetched to first-time buyers it can be all too easy for people to be taken in by sellers who appear incredibly trustworthy, as the case studies in this week’s issue of Horse & Hound demonstrate. In one case an owner got a nasty shock when she traced her new pony’s history.

Check out the facts

Sadie purchased Winnie, a 20-year-old show jumping pony, from a local equestrian centre. The owner of the equestrian centre had traded a child’s first pony for Winnie the previous year, and was told by that vendor that the pony had jumped under BSJA rules. She traced the person who had originally registered the pony via the BSJA, and passed these details on to Sadie.

“I wrote to Winnie’s original owner and was horrified to find that she had never sold her — she had only loaned her to the person who sold her on.

“I don’t blame the person I bought her from and she’s a great pony — but I was very concerned that her original owner could take us to court to try to get her back,” says Sadie.

Happily, Winnie’s original owner is just relieved that her pony is safe and well, but this is not always the case, and as well as losing the horse or pony, you may lose all the hard-earned cash you paid for it.

How to avoid this

With a registered horse, you can check with the appropriate sporting or breed organisation that the vendor is its current owner — this will be easier if it is currently competing.

If the horse has a passport or vaccination certificate, this should also give the owner’s name.

Contact the BSJA (tel: 02476 698800), British Dressage (tel: 02476 698839) or British Eventing (tel: 02476 698856).

Conmen are continuing to target equestrian websites with new scams where supposed buyers from West Africa contact private advertisers by email.

The latest ruses include a man from Benin offering to buy a horsebox and arranging payment through an alleged British-based “client” who owes the prospective purchaser some money. In this case, the seller received a cheque — which turned out to be counterfeit — but she had luckily not parted with her box or any money.

“The danger is that it’s quite believable — people do buy these old lorries for parts. When the cheque is meant to be from Coutts and it arrives by courier, it becomes very plausible,” says Kent-based seller Lesley Novis.

In another case, a man from Togo sent e-mails to a number of advertisers claiming to be looking for an Albion saddle.

Fiona Kinghorn, who received a number of e-mails, says: “I understand that they get you to send the saddle and then the payment fails. The police said it was a well-known scam.”

Other communications ask for help in releasing locked funds from a UK account, a scam also known to the police and believed to be part of a large-scale money laundering fraud.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

British vendors advertising their horses over the Internet are being targeted in what appears to be a further twist in a series of Nigerian financial scams that have taken in hundreds of unsuspecting investors all over the world in recent years.

In the latest version, horse owners who have advertised on an internet horse sales site are contacted by a person purporting to be a potential buyer for an animal they have advertised.

The “buyer” explains that he or she is from Africa, (usually Nigeria, but contacts from South Africa and Kenya have also been recorded) and would like to pay for the horse in question, plus the shipping charges, with a cashier’s cheque. Some buyers offer more than the asking price in order to secure the deal.

The vendor is then asked to refund the shipping costs as part of a “finder’s fee” arrangement, and to pay this by bank transfer. The cashier’s cheque turns out to be counterfeit, but this fact is not usually uncovered until the horse has been shipped and the money transferred.

Bedfordshire owner Maxine Warner had advertised her horse in the equestrian press and on the web, and was intrigued to get an email from the Benin Republic in Africa. It expressed interest in her 16hh bay Thoroughbred mare and offering the asking price of £2,500, to be paid as a cheque drawn from a British bank.

When she agreed the sale, the “purchaser” replied, saying that a client owed him £5,500 and that he would ask this client to send Maxine a cheque for this amount. She was then to send him a transfer for the difference via Western Union – he stated that this was because cheques take longer to clear in Africa than the UK. At this point, she became suspicious and backed out of the deal.

“I don’t think I could send my horse to Africa anyway, but I wassuspicious of his motives. I am concerned that he will have some luck [with British vendors]. At least one person I have spoken to says she can’t believe I’m not going to take up the offer,” says Maxine.

If you have been targeted after advertising a horse on the Internet, contact your local police. For more information on avoiding fraud, visit www.met.police